SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Australians have voted 61.6% to approve of same-sex marriage, and the Turnbull-led government has said it would aim to pass legislation by Christmas:
Australians decisively support same-sex marriage
Australians have overwhelmingly voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage in a historic poll. The non-binding postal vote showed 61.6% of people favour allowing same-sex couples to wed, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. Jubilant supporters have been celebrating in public spaces, waving rainbow flags and singing and dancing.
A bill to change the law was introduced into the Senate late on Wednesday. It will now be debated for amendments. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his government would aim to pass legislation in parliament by Christmas. "[Australians] have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality," Mr Turnbull said after the result was announced. "They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love."
The issue only went to a voluntary postal vote after a long and bitter debate about amending Australia's Marriage Act. The result on Wednesday brings an end to what was at times a heated campaign. The vote itself had been criticised by same-sex marriage supporters, many of whom said it was unnecessary when parliament could debate the issue directly.
Related: (U.S.) Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
One in Three People Globally Think Gay Marriage Should Be Legal
Taiwanese Court Invalidates Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
(Score: 4, Insightful) by stretch611 on Saturday November 18 2017, @04:47AM
When referring to the rights extended to people, it should never be a democracy. As long as no one is harmed, minority groups should be afforded every reasonable protection.
This should allow people to choose their own sexual preferences, their own religion, etc. As repugnant as their ideas are, this should even apply to groups like the white supremacists. (of course non-violent actions only.)
By not doing this we stifle freedom. While the US is predominately christian when it comes to religion, that would not be allowed in the rest of the world where Christianity is a minority. (And Christianity would have never been allowed to exist if democracy said no, back when it was created.) Blacks would never have been allowed to vote if no one cared of the rights of the minority. People who desire a same sex marriage should have the same right as everyone else. And no one would be legalizing marijuana. While some of these ideas are acceptable to most people now, that has not always been the case for any of the items I mentioned.
We do not have freedom at all if the majority gets to pick and choose what we are allowed to believe in.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P